Delicate
by lura167
Summary: Draco Malfoy sighed and turned the doorknob to his bedroom. There, his eyes met an unexpected sight. summer after HBP. I'm trying to get all the DracoGinny out of my head before book 7 I'm a HG shipper at heart! I always appreciate feedback.
1. Chapter 1

Draco Malfoy sighed and turned the doorknob to his bedroom. There, his eyes met an unexpected sight.

* * *

Ginny Weasley woke up to a thumping headache. She groaned and raised her arm to move her long, red hair out of her face, only to realize that she was chained from the wrist to a tall, ornate four-poster bed with black sheets. She gasped and sat up quickly, tugging on the chain uselessly.

"Dammit," she whispered. She then saw that she had been left only in her underwear - white lace bra and panties. "Dammit!" she said out loud.

At that moment, the door across the room opened.

"Weasley?" he shouted, bewildered. "What are you doing here?"

"I might ask you the same thing!" she shouted back angrily. "Where am I, you bastard? What did you do to me?"

"You aren't supposed to be here... Goddammit! I'll kill him for this..." He became quiet abruptly. He stared at her for a moment and walked calmly to a nearby dresser, which matched the bed, and opened one of the drawers. "I haven't done a thing, and you're in my bedroom."

She loooked around. She wouldn't have expected this to be the bedroom of a seventeen-year-old boy. It was narrow and bleak, with a low ceiling. The walls were bare and of rough dark-grey stone. There was minimal furniture: the bed, the dresser, and a desk with a chair. To her right, there was another door she supposed led to a bathroom.

Malfoy walked toward her with a plain, dark-green button-down shirt in his hand. Ginny could tell that he was still angry but trying not to show it. "Put this on," he said curtly. The shirt was too big for her, it almost came down to her knees, but it would cover her up adequately.

She took it gratefully - though she tried not to show it - as Malfoy took out a small silver key from his pocket and held her wrist. His skin was cold to the touch, ahd she shivered. A moment later, she was free.

"Thanks," she murmured, massaging her wrist. "So what the hell am I doing in your bedroom, Malfoy? And how do I get out of here?"

"First things first," he said, and sat down next to her on te bed. The springs creaked slightly under his weight. "What happened to you?"

She gave him a look. "But - my family -" she said quickly, "they'll be worried about me. Let me go -"

"Please," he said. Ginny blinked. "I need to know."

* * *

_"Ginny!"_

_"What, Mum?"_

_"Please do come downstairs and help your mother!"_

_Grumbling, she put down_ Standard Book of Spells, Grade 6 _and headed for the kitchen. She was tired, having scrubbed and cleaned all day the day before, making sure the house was clean, inside and out, in time for Bill and Fleur's wedding. She wondered what else her mother could possibly want from her._

_"What, Mum?" she said again._

_Molly Weasley was also tired, but was fueled by her love for her eldest son (and by the recently-discovered love for her about-to-be-daughter-in-law too, thought Ginny). She had been exceptionally busy for awhile, even with the recently-arrived help of Ron and Ginny._

_"I need you to run an errand," she said, stirring something on the stove with one hand and checking off the guest list with the other. "We planned this wedding for a year -_ a year! -_ and nothing is ready. How is that possible?"_

_"What do you need me to do?"_

_"Just fly over to Mrs. Fawcett's and get pick up some of her special Charmed lilies for me. I just spoke to her by the Floo, she'll be expecting you."_

_"Got it," she said brightly. She knew that the Floo would be quicker, but her mother would want them absolutely perfect for tomorrow and would not risk them getting damamged. She hadn't been on a broom in_ ages...

_"Just remember to stay low! Don't need Muggles spotting you!" she called over her shoulder, as Ginny went out through the back door._

_It was a beautiful summer's day. Warm and sunny, but with a light, pleasant breeze. Flowers were in full bloom through out the garden. She almost wanted to kick off her shoes and go barefoot in the soft grass._

_Despite everything happening lately... the events of the war... the possibility of Hogwarts closing... she knew everything would be perfect for tomorrow._

_Until, without warning, someone put a hand over her mouth from behind her, and the world went black._

_

* * *

_

"... and then I woke up, just a moment before you came in."

The two were quiet for a few moments. Ginny thought about her mother... did she know? Did anyone notice yet that she was missing? It was morning when she set out to the Fawcetts' and it was late in the night. But - the wedding - it was only hours away...

"Look," she said, clearing her throat. "I know you're supposed to be a complete bastard and all, but I don't know what you want with me - just let me go, okay? My brother's getting married in just a few hours and I have to go home -"

"Let you go?" he said. "Sure thing, except I'm not holding you. Ask my father."

"Your father...?"

"And if you do find a way out, be sure to tell me, will you?"

"You mean...?"

"That's right. Looks like We're both stuck in here, for the time being."

"But - this is your bedroom, why are you stuck in here? And Lucius Mal - I mean, your father - he's in Azkaban."

"One, I've been living like a prisoner, since... since that night - " (She knew what he meant.) "- and two, of course he escaped. This morning."

She felt pity for him immediately, despite herself. The boy next to her was not the one she knew - the slick, arrogant Slytherin who made fun of her Valentine in first year... tortured Harry and Ron all those years... He was much skinnier now, and looked like he had been sick for a long time. And she was believing what he came out of his mouth - he seemed ... surprisingly sincere. And weary. Her certainly looked like a prisoner.

"I just want to go to bed, all right?" he said, getting up and walking to the dresser again. "That's what I wanted to do when I came in... I just didn't expect you. I'm exhausted, Weasley." He found pajamas - dark green again, of course - and of expensive-looking material, so it did not suit his fatigued body. He began to pull off his robes when he turned around and stared back at Ginny.

"Oh... right," she said, blushing, and turned around to face the headboard of the bed.

"You sleep on the bed, Weasley," she heard him say. "I'll be on the floor."

She hesitated for a moment. "I can't let you do that - it's cold - and... and you don't look so good. I'll be fine on the floor myself," she said to the wall.

"Can't let a lady guest sleep on the floor while I take over the nice, comfy bed." She could almost see the infamous Malfoy smirk on his face, at the very moment.

"Be serious," she said. "Er... I think the bed's certainly big enough for two people."

"You can turn around," he said. "You sure now?" he smirked again. Ginny however, now facing him, noticed the usual malice was gone from his smirk - and even wondered he was faking it.

"Yes."

The room was completely dark. Ginny was usually an easy sleeper - all she had to do was lay her head on her pillow and she would be out within five minutes. Now however... she was tense. She didn't want to make any moves so stayed still on her back, firmly on one side of the bed, while Malfoy's even breaths could be heard from the other. He couldn't have possibly fallen asleep that quickly.

"Malfoy?" she whispered.

He sighed. "What?" His voice was soft, as he lied on his side, with his back to her.

"You know why your father brought me here, don't you?"

Silence.

Ginny didn't know whether she should press him - but being in the complete darkness, not being able to see each other's faces, made it less awkward. For her, anyway. She wanted to keep going.

"Tell me."

Silence.

"Is there also a reason why I was left just in my underwear?" she asked quietly.

He turned, so that he now faced her. Perhaps her eyes had gotten used to the lack of light, but she saw that it wasn't completely dark after all. She could see the faint outline of his light hair, the lights in his eyes...

"I'll tell you," he said slowly. "But you won't like it."

"Try me."


	2. Chapter 2

"You know what's been happening the last couple of weeks... You remember that night..." 

"I remember quite well, yes." Ginny couldn't help interrupting. "You sent out a nice couple of hexes in my direction. Oh, and that little _Crucio _too." She knew she shouldn't interrupt or say anything that would annoy him, as she sensed that Malfoy was unusually in a sharing mood.

She expected him to laugh or say that he was sorry he missed - by inches - but he didn't.

"That wasn't meant for you. Not the Crucio. It was the fat, blond one... I don't even know his name."

"You... tried to Curse one of your own? He was a Death Eater. He was on your side."

"He was messing things up, the way he was shooting off spells in all directions. They could've hit anyone."

"Oh..."

"Anyway," he continued. "I know the whole Wizarding world - especially Potter's lot - think I'm good as a murderer and all, and that my family and I deserve to be eaten by mad squirrels..."

"Now, I wonder why anyone would think that?" she asked sarcastically. She could feel steam building up inside her. She still couldn't quite believe the situation she was in - _what _would Ron say?

Or more importantly, what would Harry say?

Instead of getting angry right back at her, he just seemed weary as always, and showed no emotion, and stayed quiet.

"Okay, maybe I don't want to know," said Ginny quietly. "Forget it... Just... never mind. In the morning I'll figure my way out of here. Good night."

She turned to lie on her other side, so that now she faced away from him. She pretended to sleep, carefully making sure to breath slowly and deeply.

"I wasn't going to kill him," he said.

Ginny's breathing paced again. So much for pretending. But he didn't say anymore.

* * *

She felt the bright light over her closed eyes before she woke up. She was hungry, not having eaten for almost a whole day. She stayed still, her eyes still closed. She realized the unmistakeable sound of a shower was coming from the other door. She turned around and saw that of course, Malfoy was gone.

_Now what do I do?_ she thought. She got up and decided to have a better look around the room. She went straight to the small window, a circular, uncovered hole in the wall. It was Charmed with an invisible barrier, so that she could not put her hand through. She looked out - they were high from the ground, so there was no way she could've jumped out or do anything else stupid in the first place. The land in front of her was austere and bleak - even through the sun had long risen, the vast Malfoy property, was still dark. She saw sharp mountains in the distance and small dots moving around - were they humans or magical creatures? She shuddered; she could just imagine the kind of creatures the Malfoys would own.

"Enjoying the view?"

She whipped around, startled. Malfoy, with wet hair, was in just a towel. She blushed, despite herself.

"Er... yes. Certainly the most beautiful garden I've ever seen," she said, raising her eyebrow. She was well aware of how good he smelled now, even from across the room.

"Well, continue admiring it some more, will you? Need to get dressed," he said.

She turned around again, but her eyes didn't take in anything. How was she going to escape from here? "Malfoy..." she stammered. "You... You have to help me - I don't want to be here - my brother - he's getting married today, for goodness' sake..."

"It's Draco."

"What?" she faced him again. He was dressed in his usual Hogwarts uniform. But as she got a better look at him in the light - he was so gaunt, his appearance was not nearly as intimidating as it once was.

"I do have a first name," he said, in the manner of explaining something to a five-year-old. "It sets me apart from the rest of my family, you see." He began to dry his hair with the towel.

"Well, you never call me Ginny."

"Fair point," he said. "As it looks like we might be spending some time with each other, might as address each other properly from now on... Ginny," he added.

"All right, _Draco,"_ she said. "I'll play along - but before we start doing each other's hair or... or reading each other's secret diaries... help me get out of here, okay?"

"I told you, I can't."

"Of course you can, it's_ your_ room -"

"Well, I don't have any control over it. The last few weeks, the only time I'd ever been let out was when my father or Voldemort requested my presence. And speaking of... you any good with hair?"

"What?" Voldemort? Hair? Was he joking?

"Hair. The thing that grows on the top of your head," he said in his patronizing voice. "Come here."

Wordlessly, and without knowing exactly why, she did. He patted the end of the bed, telling her to sit down, and she did. He handed her a brush and sat down in front of her.

_This is ridiculous,_ she thought, as she rose on her knees and ran the brush over his near-wihte-but-definitely-blond hair. She giggled.

"What's so funny, Weas - Ginny?"

"Well, for one thing, you hardly need a brush," she said brightly. "Your hair's so thin and soft..." Realizing quickly that she sounded too much like she was admiring it, she added, "I mean... it's so whispy... and delicate. What's the point of brushing it?"

"All right then," he said, and surprising Ginny with his haste, got up and sat behind her, so that now the two switched positions. He took the brush from her still raised hand and began brushing _her _hair.

"Er..." she said, caught off-guard. "You don't have to do that... it's a wild mess right now... actually it always is, and it never goes the way I want it to..." She knew that she was blushing furiously. She wished she could stop, this was _Draco Malfoy_... but she was so lost, alone in this room with him, and he hadn't been quite a jerk as he usually wass with her... and he iwas/i quite handsome...

It took her six years to admit that to herself.

And then, most unhelpfully and unexpectedly, Draco said, "I think your hair is beautiful."

Her cheeks burning, she said quickly, "No you don't. Everyone knows that you would rather be toothless than tolerate anything Weasley-ish."

"Wrong," he said, continuing to brush her hair. "It's a secret... but I have a thing for redheads. Gets me every single time."

"Oh...?"

Her heart was beating like mad... She was sure he could hear it. Someone a mile away could hear it.

He stopped brushing. "Especially this certain redhead... she's a year below me, and... and I've had a thing for her for quite some time now..."

She couldn't speak.

"You want me to be honest? You want me to be serious?" He lay down the brush to the side and put a hand on her shoulder, and the other on her waist. "I'll show you." He turned her around slowly, and when she faced him, kissed her on the lips.


End file.
